British Soprano Felicity Lott Dies at 79

Dame Felicity Lott, the beloved British soprano celebrated for her Mozart and Strauss roles, has died of cancer at age 79. She enchanted audiences with a mellifluous tone, floated high notes, and captivating stage presence. Lott was a Glyndebourne favorite from 1976 to 2002, singing roles including Anne in The Rake's Progress, Elle in La Voix Humaine, and Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Her early career featured Handel roles at Unicorn Opera and Mozart at Leicester University Opera. A breakthrough came in 1975 when she substituted as Pamina at English National Opera, leading to engagements for Natasha in War and Peace and Roxane in King Roger. Strauss roles included Countess Madeleine in Capriccio (1976), Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier (1980), and Christine Storch in Intermezzo. She performed the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier in Brussels, Covent Garden, Madrid, Munich, Paris, New York, and Vienna. Her American stage debut was in Chicago as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro. Born in Cheltenham, she studied at Royal Holloway and the Royal Academy of Music. She married writer Robin Golding in 1973 (divorced 1982) and actor Gabriel Woolf in 1984, who survives her with their daughter Emily.